Special Focus: The Possibility of Extra-Terrestrial Life

The Pathfinder's exploration of Mars, following on
the heels of the Roswell anniversary, has turned our
attention and imagination to space once more. The
question of extraterrestrial life looms again as an
issue of great interest. Underlying questions about
the origin of the of the universe and its relation
to the God of faith may be raised again with renewed
vigor. We have put together a special focus to discuss
some questions relating to these issues.

Feature Article

Are We Alone in the Universe?Dr. Ray Bohlin
Recently, there was great excitement in the media about the announcement
by a group of scientists from NASA that proclaimed they had found
evidence of life on Mars. Their evidence, an alleged Martian meteorite, was
vaulted to center stage, and everyone from CNN to "Nightline" ran special
programs with interviews and video footage of the scientists and their prized
specimen.

Additional Resources

Stephen Hawking, the Big Bang and God: Part 1Dr. Fritz Schaefer III
Stephen Hawking's bestseller A Brief History of Time is the most popular book about cosmology ever
written. The questions cosmology addresses are scientifically and theologically profound. Hawking's book
covers both of these implications. Cosmology is the study of the universe as a whole--its structure, origin and development. I won't answer
all the questions Hawking raises concerning cosmology, but I will try to make comments on many of them.

DNA: The Message in the MessageNancy R. Pearcey
If we consult everyday experience, we readily note that objects with a high information content--books,
computer disks, musical scores--are products of intelligence. It is reasonable to conclude, by analogy, that
the DNA molecule is likewise the product of an intelligent agent. This is a contemporary version of the
design argument, and it does not rest on ignorance--on gaps in knowledge--but on the explosive growth in
knowledge thanks to the revolution in molecular biology and the development of information theory.

The Prerequisites of Life in Our UniverseJohn Leslie
Also published in Newton and the New Direction in Science, ed. G.V. Coyne, M. Heller, and J. Aycinski
(Vatican City: Specola Vaticana, 1988). John Leslie studied philosophy and psychology at Oxford
University before coming to the University of Guelph in Ontario in 1968, where he is now Professor of
philosophy.

Is There a Role for Natural Theology Today?Dr. Owen Gingerich
Dr. Owen Gingerich is Senior Astronomer at the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory and Professor of Astronomy and of
the History of Science at Harvard University.

The Resurrection of TheismWilliam Lane Craig
Back in the mid-1960's Time magazine ran a cover story for which the
magazine's cover was completely black, except for three words emblazoned
against the dark background in bright, red letters: "IS GOD DEAD?" The
article described the then current "Death-of-God" movement in American
theology. But, to paraphrase Mark Twain, it seemed that the news of God's
death was premature. At the same time that theologians were writing God's
obituary, philosophers were re-discovering His vitality.